{"id":64235,"date":"2026-01-06T17:38:34","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T22:38:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/?p=64235"},"modified":"2026-01-06T17:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T22:38:34","slug":"how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"produ-1654555940\" class=\"produ-leaderboard-placement produ-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;margin-bottom: 30px!important;\"><script async=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/securepubads.g.doubleclick.net\/tag\/js\/gpt.js\"><\/script>\n<script> var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];<\/script>\n<div id=\"gpt-ad-1432338193890-0\">\n  <script>\n\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {\n\t\t\t\tgoogletag.defineSlot( '\/21927241144\/728x90-Leaderboard', [728,90], 'gpt-ad-1432338193890-0' )\n\t\t.addService(googletag.pubads());\n\t\t\t\twindow.advadsGamEmptySlotsTimers = window.advadsGamEmptySlotsTimers || {};\n\t\tconst timers                     = window.advadsGamEmptySlotsTimers;\n\n\t\ttimers['gpt-ad-1432338193890-0'] = setTimeout( function () {\n\t\t\tconst id = 'gpt-ad-1432338193890-0';\n\t\t\tdocument.dispatchEvent( new CustomEvent( 'aagam_empty_slot', {detail: id} ) );\n\t\t\tdelete ( timers[id] );\n\t\t}, 1000 );\n\n\t\tif ( typeof window.advadsGamHasEmptySlotListener === 'undefined' ) {\n\t\t\tgoogletag.pubads().addEventListener( 'slotRequested', function ( ev ) {\n\t\t\t\tconst id = ev.slot.getSlotElementId();\n\t\t\t\tif ( typeof timers[id] === 'undefined' ) {\n\t\t\t\t\treturn;\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\tclearTimeout( timers[id] );\n\t\t\t\ttimers[id] = setTimeout( function () {\n\t\t\t\t\tdocument.dispatchEvent( new CustomEvent( 'aagam_empty_slot', {detail: id} ) );\n\t\t\t\t\tdelete ( timers[id] );\n\t\t\t\t}, 2500 );\n\t\t\t} );\n\t\t\tgoogletag.pubads().addEventListener( 'slotResponseReceived', function ( ev ) {\n\t\t\t\tconst id = ev.slot.getSlotElementId();\n\t\t\t\tif ( typeof timers[id] !== 'undefined' ) {\n\t\t\t\t\tclearTimeout( timers[id] );\n\t\t\t\t\tdelete ( timers[id] );\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\tif ( ! ev.slot.getResponseInformation() ) {\n\t\t\t\t\tdocument.dispatchEvent( new CustomEvent( 'aagam_empty_slot', {detail: id} ) );\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t} );\n\t\t\twindow.advadsGamHasEmptySlotListener = true;\n\t\t}\n\n\t\tgoogletag.enableServices();\n\t\tgoogletag.display( 'gpt-ad-1432338193890-0' );\n\t} );\n  <\/script>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div class=\"flex-video widescreen youtube\">\n<div class=\"container-lazyload preview-lazyload container-youtube js-lazyload--not-loaded\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-E\" class=\"lazy-load-youtube preview-lazyload preview-youtube\" data-video-title=\"The Smiths Iconic Guitar Riff\" title=\"Play video &quot;The Smiths Iconic Guitar Riff&quot;\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-E<\/a><noscript>Video can&#8217;t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-E\" title=\"The Smiths Iconic Guitar Riff\">The Smiths Iconic Guitar Riff (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-E)<\/a><\/noscript><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">One of the most fascinating production decisions on\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"font-[700]\">How Soon Is Now?<\/span><span class=\"\">\u00a0came from a limitation rather than an indulgence.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"font-[700]\">Morrissey<\/span><span class=\"\">\u00a0was famously against backing vocals on Smiths recordings. No harmonies, no doubles, no choruses padded out with extra voices. The vocal had to stand alone, exposed and unmistakably his.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">That restriction forced producer\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"font-[700]\">John Porter<\/span><span class=\"\">\u00a0to think laterally.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">Instead of adding voices, Porter imagined what backing vocals\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"italic\">do<\/span><span class=\"\">. They provide movement, emotional lift, a sense of width and response around the lead. His reference point was classic pop craft, particularly\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"font-[700]\">The Beatles<\/span><span class=\"\">, where wordless \u201coohs\u201d and \u201cahs\u201d often acted as emotional glue rather than lyrical content.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">So Porter\u2019s solution was elegant. If Morrissey would not sing backing parts,\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"font-[700]\">Johnny Marr<\/span><span class=\"\">\u00a0would.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-64236 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"772\" height=\"514\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923.jpg 640w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-320x213.jpg 320w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-255x170.jpg 255w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-225x150.jpg 225w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-40x27.jpg 40w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-160x107.jpg 160w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-20x13.jpg 20w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-511x340.jpg 511w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-15x10.jpg 15w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-451x300.jpg 451w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-14x9.jpg 14w, https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Jason_Marr-GettyImages-143379923-385x256.jpg 385w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 772px) 100vw, 772px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"\">The Guitar as a Voice<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">Marr recorded a slide guitar line designed explicitly to behave like a backing vocal. Long, sustained notes. Slow phrasing. No flashy technique. Just something that could breathe around the lead vocal rather than compete with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">That part was then sent through a harmoniser, set to multiple intervals both above and below the original pitch. Instead of a single guitar line, you suddenly hear a shifting, choral texture that swells and recedes across the track.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">It is not obvious as a \u201cguitar effect\u201d when you first hear it. It feels emotional before it feels technical. That is the key.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<h3><span class=\"\">Why It Works So Well<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">The brilliance of this approach is that it honours Morrissey\u2019s vocal purity while still giving the song depth and movement. The harmonised slide never distracts from the lyric, yet it fills the space where backing vocals would normally live.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">It also reinforces what made The Smiths so distinctive. Guitar parts were not riffs alone. They were arrangements. Marr\u2019s role was often closer to that of an orchestrator than a traditional guitarist.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">On\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"italic\">How Soon Is Now?<\/span><span class=\"\">, the slide guitar does not just decorate the track. It\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"italic\">speaks<\/span><span class=\"\">\u00a0for it.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<h3><span class=\"\">A Lesson in Production Thinking<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">This moment is a perfect reminder that great production is rarely about piling on more elements. It is about understanding function.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">When something is missing, the question is not \u201cwhat can we add?\u201d It is \u201cwhat role needs to be fulfilled?\u201d Porter identified the role of backing vocals and found a completely different way to achieve the same emotional result.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">That mindset is timeless. Whether you are working in a bedroom studio or a world class room, constraints often lead to the most memorable ideas.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-main__content\" data-test-id=\"publishing-text-block\">\n<p><span class=\"\">And sometimes, the best backing vocalist in the room is a guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-EVideo can&#8217;t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The Smiths Iconic Guitar Riff (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-E) &nbsp; One of the most fascinating production decisions on\u00a0How Soon Is Now?\u00a0came from a limitation rather than an indulgence. Morrissey\u00a0was famously against backing vocals on Smiths recordings. No harmonies, no doubles, no choruses padded out with extra voices. The vocal had&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":64237,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[40,39,444,578,11375],"tags":[429,13986,13985,13982,13984,13983],"class_list":["post-64235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-audio-engineer","category-producing-a-song","category-production","category-recording-guitar","category-songs-that-changed-music","tag-guitar","tag-how-soon-is-now","tag-john-porter","tag-johnny-marr","tag-riff","tag-the-smiths"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now? - Produce Like A Pro<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now? - Produce Like A Pro\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-EVideo can&#8217;t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The Smiths Iconic Guitar Riff (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-E) &nbsp; One of the most fascinating production decisions on\u00a0How Soon Is Now?\u00a0came from a limitation rather than an indulgence. Morrissey\u00a0was famously against backing vocals on Smiths recordings. No harmonies, no doubles, no choruses padded out with extra voices. The vocal had&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Produce Like A Pro\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/producelikeapro\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-06T22:38:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"330\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"258\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Warren Huart\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Warren Huart\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Warren Huart\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dfc15fcc5cd192b928e9795f45430d4\"},\"headline\":\"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-06T22:38:34+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/\"},\"wordCount\":446,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"GUITAR\",\"How Soon Is Now\",\"John Porter\",\"Johnny Marr\",\"Riff\",\"The Smiths\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Audio Engineer\",\"Producing A Song\",\"Production\",\"Recording Guitar\",\"Songs That Changed Music\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/\",\"name\":\"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now? - Produce Like A Pro\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-06T22:38:34+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg\",\"width\":330,\"height\":258},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Songs That Changed Music\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/category\/songs-that-changed-music\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Produce Like A Pro\",\"description\":\"Blog\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"Create radio worthy and professional sounding music in your home studio.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Produce Like A Pro\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/PLAP-Logo-Small.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/PLAP-Logo-Small.jpg\",\"width\":192,\"height\":192,\"caption\":\"Produce Like A Pro\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/producelikeapro\/\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/producelikeapro\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/WarrenHuartRecording\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dfc15fcc5cd192b928e9795f45430d4\",\"name\":\"Warren Huart\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a625b2f18dae6798c91631e0f781b741c8759aa2c4554218b5acdbbcbe065c15?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a625b2f18dae6798c91631e0f781b741c8759aa2c4554218b5acdbbcbe065c15?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Warren Huart\"},\"description\":\"Warren Huart is a Los Angeles-based British music producer who has played a fundamental part in the creation of platinum winning and billboard-soaring albums; as well as the development of many of today\u2019s successful artists\u2019 careers. Warren Huart is known for his hard work ethic, positive attitude and respect for the artist\u2019s vision. Many of his long term work relationships have turned into close friendships. With over 20 years of experience in the ever expanding music industry (record production, engineering, mixing and song writing), as well as his extensive knowledge of musical equipment used yesterday and today, Warren manages to create the most diverse sound around.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/author\/warren-huart\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now? - Produce Like A Pro","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now? - Produce Like A Pro","og_description":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-EVideo can&#8217;t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: The Smiths Iconic Guitar Riff (https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/5HKXAXX3H-E) &nbsp; One of the most fascinating production decisions on\u00a0How Soon Is Now?\u00a0came from a limitation rather than an indulgence. Morrissey\u00a0was famously against backing vocals on Smiths recordings. No harmonies, no doubles, no choruses padded out with extra voices. The vocal had&hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/","og_site_name":"Produce Like A Pro","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/producelikeapro\/","article_published_time":"2026-01-06T22:38:34+00:00","og_image":[{"width":330,"height":258,"url":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Warren Huart","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Warren Huart","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/"},"author":{"name":"Warren Huart","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dfc15fcc5cd192b928e9795f45430d4"},"headline":"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now?","datePublished":"2026-01-06T22:38:34+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/"},"wordCount":446,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg","keywords":["GUITAR","How Soon Is Now","John Porter","Johnny Marr","Riff","The Smiths"],"articleSection":["Audio Engineer","Producing A Song","Production","Recording Guitar","Songs That Changed Music"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/","url":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/","name":"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now? - Produce Like A Pro","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-06T22:38:34+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/The_Smiths_1984_Sire_publicity_photo_002.jpg","width":330,"height":258},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/how-the-slide-guitar-became-the-backing-vocal-on-how-soon-is-now\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Songs That Changed Music","item":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/category\/songs-that-changed-music\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How the Slide Guitar Became the Backing Vocal on How Soon Is Now?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/","name":"Produce Like A Pro","description":"Blog","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#organization"},"alternateName":"Create radio worthy and professional sounding music in your home studio.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Produce Like A Pro","url":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/PLAP-Logo-Small.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/PLAP-Logo-Small.jpg","width":192,"height":192,"caption":"Produce Like A Pro"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/producelikeapro\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/producelikeapro\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/WarrenHuartRecording"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/8dfc15fcc5cd192b928e9795f45430d4","name":"Warren Huart","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a625b2f18dae6798c91631e0f781b741c8759aa2c4554218b5acdbbcbe065c15?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/a625b2f18dae6798c91631e0f781b741c8759aa2c4554218b5acdbbcbe065c15?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Warren Huart"},"description":"Warren Huart is a Los Angeles-based British music producer who has played a fundamental part in the creation of platinum winning and billboard-soaring albums; as well as the development of many of today\u2019s successful artists\u2019 careers. Warren Huart is known for his hard work ethic, positive attitude and respect for the artist\u2019s vision. Many of his long term work relationships have turned into close friendships. With over 20 years of experience in the ever expanding music industry (record production, engineering, mixing and song writing), as well as his extensive knowledge of musical equipment used yesterday and today, Warren manages to create the most diverse sound around.","url":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/author\/warren-huart\/"}]}},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64238,"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64235\/revisions\/64238"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/producelikeapro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}